W. Clarence Kurtz

William Clarence Kurtz moved from Pennsylvania to Colorado when he was only 18 years old in search of something new. Kurtz found himself in Grand Junction where he was given a job as a bookkeeper at Independent Lumber Company. Only four years later, Kurtz was the general manager and three years after that, he married the owner’s daughter.

As Grand Junction grew, so did the Lumber Company allowing for Kurtz to expand in other markets across the state. At one point, Kurtz was involved in a hardware store, ranches, and was producing resources such as peet, gold, lumber and peaches. Kurtz was incredibly determined and even after moving to Colorado Springs and “retiring”, he continued to work.